Bill Text: CA AB2610 | 2021-2022 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Wildlife Conservation Board: ecologically sensitive vegetation management: wildfire risk reduction.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-05-19 - In committee: Held under submission. [AB2610 Detail]
Download: California-2021-AB2610-Amended.html
|
Amended
IN
Assembly
March 24, 2022 |
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE—
2021–2022 REGULAR SESSION
Assembly Bill
No. 2610
| Introduced by Assembly Member Friedman |
February 18, 2022 |
An act to add Article 3.3 (commencing with Section 1357) to Chapter 4 of Division 2 of the Fish and Game Code, relating to fire prevention.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
AB 2610, as amended, Friedman.
Wildlife Conservation Board: ecologically sensitive vegetation management: fire wildfire risk reduction.
The Wildlife Conservation Law of 1947 establishes the Wildlife Conservation Board in the Department of Fish and Wildlife and Wildlife. Existing law requires the board to determine the areas in the state that are most essential and suitable for certain wildlife production and preservation and that will provide suitable recreation, and to determine those lands in the state that are suitable for specified wildlife-related purposes.
This bill would state the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation related to establishing a grant program, to be administered by the Wildlife Conservation Board, for vegetation management treatments that reduce the risk of fire.
express the intent of the Legislature to encourage ecologically sensitive vegetation management practices for the purpose of maintaining ecological health and strengthening biodiversity while mitigating wildfire risk through fuel load reduction. The bill would require the board to establish a grant program to facilitate the application of ecologically sensitive vegetation management practices that can improve long-term wildfire risk reduction, improve native plant and wildlife diversity, protect water quality, and enhance ecosystem function. The bill would require the board to leverage existing state funding to award grants to local government entities, park and open-space districts, resource conservation districts, and nonprofit organizations, as separately defined, for projects that carry out ecologically sensitive vegetation management practices designed to, among other things, reduce wildfire risk by maximizing the removal or reduction of invasive plant species using an Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) approach or maximizing long-term wildfire risk reduction.
Digest Key
Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee:Bill Text
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
SECTION 1.
Article 3.3 (commencing with Section 1357) is added to Chapter 4 of Division 2 of the Fish and Game Code, to read:Article 3.3. Ecologically Sensitive Vegetation Management Grant Program
1357.
For purposes of this article, the following terms have the following meanings:(a) “Board” means the Wildlife Conservation Board established pursuant to Section 1320.
(b) “Ecologically sensitive vegetation management” means invasive plant control using best management practices to reduce wildfire risk over the long term while supporting native wildlife and biodiversity.
(c) “Integrated Pest Management (IPM)” has the meaning set forth in subdivision (d) of Section 14717 of the Government Code.
(d) “Local government entity” means any city, county, city and county, district,
or other local government entity, if the other local government entity is otherwise authorized to acquire and hold title to real property.
(e) “Nonprofit organization” means a tax-exempt nonprofit organization that meets the requirements of subdivision (a) of Section 815.3 of the Civil Code.
(f) “Park and open-space district” has the meaning of “district” set forth in Section 5500 of the Public Resources Code.
1358.
It is the intent of the Legislature that this article encourage ecologically sensitive vegetation management practices for the purpose of maintaining ecological health and strengthening biodiversity while mitigating wildfire risk through fuel load reduction.1359.
(a) The board shall establish a grant program to facilitate the application of ecologically sensitive vegetation management practices that can improve long-term wildfire risk reduction, improve native plant and wildlife diversity, protect water quality, and enhance ecosystem function.(b) The board shall leverage existing state funding to award grants to local government entities, park and open-space districts, resource conservation districts, and nonprofit organizations for projects that carry out ecologically sensitive vegetation management practices designed to reduce wildfire risk by doing any of the following:
(1) Maximizing the removal or reduction of invasive plant
species using an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach.
(2) Maximizing biodiversity through the use of locally appropriate native plant species.
(3) Maximizing the use of treatments that support native plant species proliferation.
(4) Prioritizing the treatment of invasive species over native species.
(5) Maximizing long-term wildfire risk reduction.
(6) Promoting practices that mimic natural disturbance processes to maintain rare habitats.
(7) Minimizing erosion impacts from vegetation management treatments.
(8) Using botanists and land management experts
to develop long-term ecologically sensitive vegetation management treatments.
(9) Promoting ecologically sensitive grazing where applicable.
(10) Protecting watersheds, including leaving buffers around bodies of water.
(11) Promoting seasonally timed work to decrease potential impacts to birds, bats, and other wildlife.
(12) Promoting the development of monitoring plans and incorporating monitoring before, during, and after vegetation management treatments.
It is the intent of the Legislature to enact subsequent legislation that does both of the following:
(a)Encourages ecologically sensitive vegetation management by promoting best practices for fuel management and load reduction.
(b)Requires the Wildlife Conservation Board to establish a grant program for local agencies, open space districts, and nonprofit organizations to assist with the development and implementation of long-term ecologically sensitive vegetation management treatments that reduce fire risk to people, lands, and wildlife, improve native plant and wildlife biodiversity, protect water quality, and enhance ecosystem
function.
